Fort Bend County, Texas - Chapter 14, 1904

John R. Fenn, one of the old settlers of Fort Bend County, was born in Lawrence County, Mississippi, on the lltli day of October, 1824. His father, Eli Fenn, was from Savannah, Georg^ia, as was also his mother, who was Miss Sarah Fitzgerald, daughter of David Fitzgerald. Eli Fenn was a particular friend of General Andrew Jackson, of Tennessee, and served under him in the campaign against the Creek Indians in 1812, participating during that time in the famous battle of the ^^Horseshoe,'' fought In the bend of Tallapoosa River, in Alabama.

David Fitzgerald came to Texas in 1822, and several years passed away before any tidings reached his people of his location, so in 1832 Eli Fenn left his family in Madison County, Mississippi, and came to Texas in search of him. In Austin^s Colony, in what is now Fort Bend County, John Fitzgerald (son of David Fitzgerald) was found, the latter having died three months before the arrival of Mr. Fenn. The Fitzgerald place was three miles below the present town of Richmond, on the east bank of the Brazos River. David Fitzgerald came to this place in a canoe in 1822, bringing his son John and two African negroes, a man and a woman.

At this point a small band of Indians had a cluster of wigwams, but the savages fled at the sight of Mr. Fitzgerald and his party, and they landed and took possession. Here they stayed for some time, expecting the Indians to come back, but as they failed to do so Fitzgerald concluded to locate his league of land there and stay. For this purpose he journeyed on up the river to San Felipe, and had an interview with Stephen F. Austin, the empresario, but learned that this land had already been taken up and was on the grant of William Morton. Austin, how^- ever, told him to remain if he wished, and he would get Mr. Morton to make an exchange with him when he, Fitzgerald, should locate his headright. This being satisfactory, he took out the necessary papers, and in company with the surveyor and chain carriers located the Fitzgerald grant in the lower edge of Fort Bend County on the east bank of the Brazos River, at a place then known as '^Long Reach,'' about nineteen miles below the present town of Richmond. One quarter of a league of this land was exchanged with William Morton, the amount taken up on his grant three miles below Fort Bend. Louisa Morton, who married Daniel Perry, inherited the quarter league thus exchanged. In order to hold the land at '^Long Reach," a clearing had to be made and some crop planted, so Mr. Fitzgerald left a negro man there, and a German, named John McCloskey, to make the clearing and plant some corn. When the corn, however, began to mature, the bears Avere so numerous that they came near eating the crop up, and Fitzgerald furnished his men with a gun and a pound or two of ammunition, with which to make war on the bears, and save the balance of the crop. They, how^ever, were bad marksmen, and shot away all of the ammunition and only killed one bear, and this was the plan they worked to get him : In felling the trees to make the clearing, a large one had fallen in such a manner that one end of it was inside of the field and the other end on the outside. At this particular place an old bear was in the habit of coming into the corn by walking this log. The old negro man heavily charged the gun, and taking his position at the end of the log, on the inside of the field, pointed the gun along the log, and wmited patiently for the bear. He finally came, and, mounting the log, came walking straight toward the muzzle of the gun, and a terrific explosion was heard, almost loud enough to make every wild animal in the Brazos bottom for miles around start from his lair and pull his freight. When the smoke cleared away a dead bear was seen beside the log and a negro getting up a few yards from the end of it, badly shaken up, but jubilant, for he had the bear. On another occasion they found a panther up a tree, and the negro stood off a distance and fired at him. The panther was not touched, but came down and went up another tree. The negro loaded up and fired again, with the same result, not hurt, but came down, and went up another tree. This was repeated about four times, and then the colored marksman stood at the root of the tree and fired straight up. This time from sonae accidental cause, the panther was killed and fell heavily to the ground. The negro looked at him a moment, and then, turning to his companion John, said: "I have des now found out how to kill panthers : stand under de tree and shoot up at ^em."

Eli Fenn, being well pleased with the country, and wishing to settle here, went back for his family, and came again, arriving at ''Hodge's Lake," seven miles east of Richmond, on the prairie, where Walker's Station is now, on the Southern Pacific Railroad, on the 7th day of June, 1833. "Hodge Lake" and "Hodge Bend" were named for Archie, Aleck, and John Hodge, who came at an early date and settled there, the league being granted to Archie Hodge. Other early settlers were the Harris family, who came about the same time as the Hodges, and Miles M. Battle, who came after Penn and bought 200 acres of land, where the lake is. He likely bought it from Peavyhouse, another early settler, and the Hodges may have sold it to the latter, but the lake was afterwards called "Battle's Lake." Battle also had a grant of his own, and was county clerk of Fort Bend County in 1842. Some of the Hodges moved at an early day to Gonzales County, and bought a large tract of land iu the forks of the San Marcos and Guadalupe Rivers, above the town of Gonzales, and many of their descendants reside there now.

From the prairie at Hodge's Lake in 1833 Eli Fenn cut a road through the Brazos bottom to the Fitzgerald place, on the river, three miles below Richmond, a distance of eight miles by the road, and the first one cut through the Brazos bottom in Fort Bend County. This road was traveled three years afterwards by some of the fleeing settlers in their efforts to get away from Santa Anna's army.

Eli Fenn first settled on the Fitzgerald place - ^the quarter league exchanged with Morton - and commenced farming there. At this time there was no more land subject to entry in Fort Bend Caunty, and Mr. Fenn had his located in Grimes County, the work of surveying and locating being done for him by Thomas Barnett.

An explanation of the manner of preparing the land and planting corn by these primitive Brazos farmers would be of interest, no doubt, to the younger generation of today, who have all of the modern improved agricultural implements at their disposal. In the first year the bottoms were covered with cane, and this was cut down with heavy knife or hatchet, and allowed to remain there until dry, and then burned. When the proper time came for planting, holes were made in the ground with hand spikes, the corn dropped and covered with the foot. It came up all right and grew well, making from forty to sixty bushels of corn to the acre. All the land in the bottom was rich, mellow alluvial soil, and these first crops needed no cultivation except to knock down the young cane with sticks whenever it reached a growth sufficient to injure the corn. Prior to this time no other vegetation had grown on these lands except the cane, but in a few years, after the rank growth of the cane had been stunted weeds and burrs came

During the early settlement of the country a tribe of Coast Indians called Craunkaways made a raid on some of the colonists below, killed some of the people and carried off a little girl captive.

After proceeding some distance they camped, killed the child, and proceeded to eat her, first splitting open the body, then quartering it, and placing the parts on sharp sticks and cooking them. They had just commenced this cannibal feast when a band of settlers, among whom was David Fitzgerald, dashed upon them, having been on their trail. The Indians were so completely absorbed in their diabolical and hellish orgie as to be oblivious to their surroundings, and were taken by surprise. In the fight which ensued all were killed except a squaw and her two small children. She fied with these for a long distance, and finally came to the house of Jack Kandon, a short distance below the present site of Richmond. The Indian woman made signs to Mrs. Randon, her husband not being at home, that she wanted something to eat, and she told her negro cook, Mima, to supply them. After they had eaten, the squaw took her children a short distance, and sat down under a tree. Soon several white men came to the house, and Mrs. Randon told them about the squaw. They consulted a little while, and then decided it was best to exterminate such a race, and, proceeding to where they were, killed all three of them. John R. Fenn says the bones of these unfortunates were still to be seen scattered around the tree when he first came bo the country in 1833.

In 1834 and 1835 Eli Fenn made good crops of cotton and corn, and planted a crop in 1836, but lost that one on account of the Mexican invasion of that year. When the news came of the advance of Santa Anna Mr. Fenn joined the company of Captain Wiley Martin, who was ordered by General Houston to raise a force and defend the ferry at Thompson's, in the bend two miles above Kichmond. Now the boat which was used at the ferry was made by Eli Fenn, and belonged to him, he having constructed it for the purpose of transporting cotton down the Brazos to Columbia^ distant about seventy miles by the river. The lumber from which this boaf was made was cut by a whip-saw, the logs being raised on scaffolding, and the saw working up and down, one man being on top of the log and the other underneath. The capacity of the boat was about twelve bales of cotton. A short time before the outbreak of the Texas Revolution Mr. Fenn had made a trip to Columbia, and brought back a boat-load of supplies and stored them in his house. He then carried the boat up to Thompson's and either loaned or hired it to him to use as a ferry boat, Mr. Fenn having no more use for it until the next cotton season. Another small boat was kept at William Morton's, opposite Richmond, for the use of the people in crossing to and fro, who lived on both sides of the river. This boat had been ordered sunk by Captain Martin when he reecived news of the approach of the Mexicans, but it had not been done, and which fact caused trouble later on, as we shall see. This was about the status of things at the Bend when the advance of Santa Anna's army arrived there. Eli Fenn left the ferry, and, hurrying home, informed his family of the facts, and told them to get away from there and go up to Morton's. He then went back to his command. Mrs. Fenn at once went to work filling sacks with provisions and some clothing, and packing them on ponies, and taking four negroes and her family, then consisting of two boys, John and J esse, the latter being about five years of age and the other twelve, proceeded to Morton's. Here she found several other women and their children, whose husbands were also in Captain Martin's company at the ferry. They were in charge of Joe Kuykendall, who was a cripple. The people present there were Joe Kuykendall and his wife, Mrs. Gil Kuykendall, Mrs. Abe Kuykendall, Mrs. Fenn and family, Mrs. James, Miss Jane Kuykendall, and five' or six negroes. At this time the advance of the Mexican army under the command of Colonel Almonte was coming across the prairie from the west in order to surprise Captain Martin and his men in the night, but daylight coming upon them before they reached that point, Almonte ambushed his men in the high grass about one mile from the river. Now in the early morning, while the people at Morton^s were eating breakfast by candle light, a difficulty occurred in the kitchen between a negro belonging to John Morton, named Cain, and another, named John, whom David Fitzgerald brought to Texas. During the controversy Cain hit John over the head with a gun, and the latter, leaving the kitchen, informed Kuykendall, who was in command there, of the assault made upon him by Cain. The offending party had followed John with the gun still in hand, and was standing near, listening to the accusation, which, when recited,, so enraged Kuykendall that he wrenched the gun from Cain's hands and struck him over the head with it. Old Cain now left the place, saying he was going up to the ferry and tell Marse John (Morton). He went dowm to the river and secured the small boat before mentioned, and crossing to the west side of the river, tied it up, and started across the bend toward the ferry. In this journey he came upon the ambushed men of Almonte, and the latter raised up and accosted him in English thus: ^^Good morning. Uncle." Cain recogniced him as a Mexican, and seeing no others, replied very loftily : got no good mawnin' fer ye, sah," and proceeded on his way. Again Almonte accosted him : "Hold on, I want to talk with you." "I got no talk fer ye, sah," was the reply, as he moved on. Almonte now whistled, and about a dozen soldiers arose from the grass and presented their muskets at him. This brought Cain to terms and to his knees, with his hands up, and he said he would surrender. He was now taken into custody and made to conduct them to the boat in which he had crossed, and they managed by making several trips to land about fifty soldiers on the east bank of the river before thej' were discovered by the people at Morton's, only a few hundred yards away. The morning was somewhat foggy and the Mexicans approached the river through the high grass and some cottonwood trees, and effected a crossing just above where the county bridge now spans the Brazos. By the time fifty infantrymen had landed on the east side and were still under the bank or bluff of the river the Mexican cavalry arrived and lined the west bank, where was also several hundred more infantry. It was about this time that they were discovered by Joe Kuykendall and he, thinking it was General Houston's army from San Felipe, said to the women who had assembled around him, ^^Come, ladies, yonder is Houston's army fixing to cross the river. Ijet's go and look at them." This was joyful news to the distressed people, and they hurried to the river bank just as the Mexicans who had crossed were coming up it close upon them. Kuykendall saw at once his mistake, and, starting back, said: ^^Ladies, d d if it ain't the Mexicans." All now turned and fled in wild terror back toward the house, and the Mexican's commenced firing at them. Kuykendall, being lame, soon stopped and surrendered, but the women kept on, partly obscured from view by the fog and smoke from the guns, and succeeded in reaching the house without any of them being wounded. Great confusion prevailed, the women only halting long enough, some of them, to secure valuables, and all sped away toward the timbered bottom east a few hundred yards away. Joe Kuykendall's wife, when they reached the house hastily opened a trunk and secured |1100 - 1400 of which was in silver, tied up in a shot sack. The balance of the money was in New Orleans bank paper. When the timber was reached, the silver, being burdensome, she secreted it in the fork of a fallen tree, and went on with the other fugitives, but told where she had hid the silver money. The paper currency was saved, but on the return of the settlers the bag of silver was gone. Abe Kuykendall had come down from the ferry on the east side to see about his family, and 2<rrived there just as the women reached the house. In her ex^hausting flight and terror his wife was unable to cross the fence, and he laid his gun down to assist her, but by the time he did so the Mexicans were so close upon them he ran on with her and left his rifle lying on the ground, which was later secured by a Mexican. Eli Fenn, being also uneasy about his family, left the ferry, although ordered not to do so by Captain Martin, and hurried to Morton's, but arrived there just as all the people had scattered away from the house, and, seeing they would cut him off before he could reach his people, stopped for a moment to consider and discovered a Mexican on the yard fence, and hastily bringing his rifle to his shoulder, shot him off and then turned and ran back up the river, pursued and fired at by the Mexicans who had discovered his presence by the report of his rifle. His flight was somewhat impeded from the fact that he had on a long- tailed linen coat, in the pockets of which was several bars of lead w'hich flapped him about the hips as he ran. This episode, no doubt, aided in the escape of the women, by drawing the attention of the Mexicans from them to Fenn. Before he got back to the ferry he met some of Martin's men coming down to see what the firing meant, and learning the fact that the Mexicans were crossing there, hurried back and reported, and Captain Martin perceiving that the would be flanked if he held his

When the women scattered away from Morton's, some ran down a lane, while others kept inside a small field which had recently been plowed. Of the latter party was Mrs. Gil Kuykendall, who carried a three-weeks-old baby in her arms, and, not being able to make good speed over the broken ground, or to climb the fence with her baby, called to her sister-in-law. Miss Jane Kuykendall, who was in the lane, to take her child and handed it to her through a crack in the fence. The young lady ran on with it and the mother kept on inside and crossed the fence at the end of the little field, and went into the heavy timbered bottom. By this time they were all badly scattered, and the mother never saw her baby again for six weeks. Miss Jane, with the child, and Mrs. Joe Kuykendall, stayed together and made their way on foot through the bottom, eight miles to '^Hodges' Bend," following the old road cut through there three years before by Eli Fenn. The baby came near starving, as there was nothing it could eat, but by some means during that long fiight, until after the battle of San Jacinto, they kept it alive.

In regard to the situation at the ferry. Captain Martin had sent out three scouts, John Shipman, Gil Kuykendall, (father of the babe above mentioned), and Barksdale, to see where the Mexicans were. Out in the prairie at ^'Bandon's Point" above "Barnett's Point" Shipman stood in his saddle so as to have a better view of the surrounding country, and discovered a large body of Mexican cavalry half a mile away, and, dropping back in the saddle, told what he saw, and all turned swiftly back toward the ferry nine miles away, pursued by the cavalry, who had also discovered the Texans, but the latter were well mounted and made their escape. On the receipt of this intelligence. Captain '^lartin crossed his men to the east bank of the river.

using the little ferry boat before mentioned, and about the break of day on the following morning, while Almonte had his men in ambush, as previously mentioned, a Mexican came for water on the west bank of the river and was fired at by one of Martin's pickets, who at once raised the alarm of ^^Mexicans." They knew now that the enemy were about to attempt a crossing somewhere, and it was then that Eli Fenn went down to Morton's, preceded a little by Abe Kuykendall as before stated. Now, on the morning of the capture of Joe Kuykendall and the scattering of the women, the former had sent John R. Fenn and a negro boy named Jack, who belonged to Kuykendall, down the river about half a mile to get some horses, but not finding them in the anticipated place, were detained some time hunting for them. When the stock were finally secured, the boys brought them on up to Morton's, but by this time a large body of Mexicans was at the place and they stopped before reaching the house, not being familiar with soldiers and uniforms, and knew not what to do. Young Fenn asked the question, ''Who are those strange looking men, do you suppose?" Jack did not know. About this time, however, Joe Kuykendall was seen among them, and, thinking it was all right, the boys ventured on up, having, however, turned the horses loose and let them go back when they first saw the Mexicans, which was a fortunate thing, as they were of great service afterwards. As soon as they came among the Mexicans a saucy young officer lifted John Fenn from his horse and took him prisoner, as he did Jack also. The soldiers had on blue jackets with brass buttons, white pants, and caps with plumes in them. Kuykendall spoke to young Fenn and told him all about what had happened and that his mother and the other women escaped to the bottom. He also said in a low voice that they had killed Abe Kuyken-

During that day and night John Fenn and the boy, Jack, were kept at Morton^ s, but Joe Kuykendall and the negro, Cain, were carried up to the ferry on the west side, where a portion of the Mexican army under Santa Anna were encamped. A negro woman, who had not left the place when the balance ran off, told John Fenn that the officer in command could speak English, and if he was hungry to ask permission from him and he would let him come into the kitchen and get something to eat. The boy did so, and the officer said, very pleasantly, ^'Certainly, go in and eat as much as you like.'' This officer, .Mr. Fenn says, was a fine looking man, and he thinks his name was Sesma, Almonte was there also, always in a good humor and talked a great deal.

Mrs. Fenn had |100 in a trunk in Morton's house, and her son saw the same young officer who captured him get it. The Mortons were all up at the ferry, and made their escape. Mrs. Fenn made no attempt to secure her money when they were getting away. Joe Kuykendall also had ^fl20 in silver in a trunk tied up in something, and a Mexican opened the trunk, tumbled the contents about, but failed to get his hand on the money, and then walked out and stood in front of the door. Kuykendall had been watching him and now went to the trunk, reached his hand into the corner of the trunk where he knew the money was, all the time keeping his eye on the Mexican, secured the silver hastily, hid it in his bosom, and then went out and asked the Mexican if he could take a short walk. This being granted, he walked out to an ant-bed, dug a hole in the top of it with the toe of his shoe, all the while keeping his eyes on the Mexican, dropped the money in and covered it with his foot without stooping, and then came back. This money was recovered when the settlers returned.

Early on the following morning the steamboat "Yellowstone'' was heard coming down the river, and great confusion and excitement prevailed among the Mexicans. They lined' the banks of the river on both sides, infantry and cavalry, and made a desperate attempt to capture it, the cavalry trying to throw lariats enough on it to tie it up, but failing in this, volley after volley was fired into it as they followed it down the river, but all of no avail. John Fenn witnessed all of this, and says the "Yellowstone" was plowing the water for all she was worth, lashing the banks with the waves on both sides as she went, and no one aboard of her being seen except the top of the pilot's head as he guided her around the bends, keeping in the middle of the river. Captain Ross, her commander, had cotton bales set up on end around the pilot house for protection against musket fira Hundreds of balls struck her, but she kept on her way until the smoke from her stack disappeared down the river.

The negro, Cain, who had been taken up to the ferry, was allowed to come back to Morton's, and he told young Penn that he heard Mexican officers talking the night before, and he thought the conclusion they came to was to have Fenn and Kuykendall shot and for him to escape if he could. So, while the "Yellowstone" was running the gauntlet of the Mexican army, John Fenn, the boy. Jack, and Winnie, a negro woman, who belonged to Eli Fenn, were standing near the Mexicans, watching the exciting run of the plucky Captain Boss and his pilot. At this time it occurred to young Fenn to be a fine opportunity to make his escape, and no sooner thought than acted on, he dashed away toward the bottom, followed by Jack and Winnie, the latter snatching up one of her little boys and placing him astride her neck as she went. They got a good start before being discovered, but then many shots were fired at them, cutting a quantity of leaves from the trees in the edge of the bottom, but none took effect upon any of them, and they made good their escape, the soldiers not following them. The fugitives went in the direction of Harrisburg until they came to the camp of William Little and others, who were hiding amid the wild cane in the Brazos bottom. Here also were Mrs. Fenn, her little son, Jesse, and others who had escaped from Morton's.

By some unaccountable whim, Joe Kuykendall, by telling the Mexican commander at the ferry that his wife had gone to Red River and that he wanted a pass to follow her, it was promptly furnished and told to go. It need not be told that he stood not on the order of his going, but instead of the course toward Red River, he went down the Brazos as fast as his lame leg would allow him to get on the trail of his retreating people. On Jones' Creek, above Richmond, he found his own saddle where the Mexicans had dropped it, and, strapping it to his back, swam the creek and proceeded on to Morton's to get his wife's side-saddle if still there, thinking the Mexicans were all gone, but to his surprise walked into about 500 of them. They at once leveled their guns at him, think ing he had made his escape, but the inimitable Joe waved his pass at them and an officer advanced and examined it, and after perusing the contents, handed it back, with a wave of the hand, and said in Spanish, '^Go, to Red River." Kuykendall, as the saying is, again ''pulled his freight," but without attempting to secure his wife's saddle, and, entering the bottom, kept in the wake of the fleeing families, and arrived at Little's camp soon after the others. Not much time, however, was consumed at this place ; he took the boy. Jack, and went after, the horses, which the latter and John Fenn had turned loose, and returning with them hastily arranged for all those in his charge to go on in the night toward Harrisburg, arriving at that place about sunrise ; then went toward Lynch's Ferry on the San Jacinto River, crossing Vince's Bayou on the famous '^Vince's Bridge." Here hundreds of terror-stricken and fleeing negroes were seen scattering all over the prairie after passing over the bayou. Arriving at Lynch's, where they intended to cross, the ferry boat was gone, whether sunk or carried away, they could not tell, but they were bound to get over the river, so Kuykendall went to work constructing a raft on which to cross the horses; a skiff being found, in which the women and children were safely transported to the east side. John Fenn and the boy, Jack, helped to make the raft, working manfully with all of their boyish strength until it was completed and everything crossed over. They now took their course for the Sabine River, and by this time their stock of provisions was exhausted. The women were sent on ahead, and Kuykendall, with young Fenn, prospected the country for something to eat. Six miles from the river they sighted a house, which they turned to, and saw half of a hog hanging to a limb in the yard. A woman came out, who seemed to be the only person present, and Kuykendall informed her of the situation - ^that they were running from the Mexicans, and that hungry women and children were ahead and he would like to have some of the pork. He was curtly informed that he could not have any of it. am Joe Kuykendall," he said, '^and have money to pay for it." ^A^'ou are a liar," the woman retorted. ^^Joe Kuykendall was captured at Fort Bend by the Mexicans and shot." However, when the money was produced part of the meat was sold and the inimitable Joe and his youthful companion went on their way rejoicing, to overtake their party and then stop and have a feast. People who had passed ahead of them told many things, and some of them exaggerated, about what had happened at Fort Bend. This woman was no doubt the wife of a Tor^^, the house being near a place afterwards known as ^'Torj Hill/' where more than one hundred men assembled and witnessed the battle of San Jacinto, cheering the while for Santa Anna, but wben they saw his army beaten and flying and being annihilated by the patriots they scattered, and some of them in after years had the audacity to make an attempt to join the Texas Veteran Association. Before the party under Kuykendall arrived at the Sabine, a messenger from the fleld of San Jacinto overtook them and announced the news of the great victory and that Santa Anna was a prisoner, eleven hundred Mexicans slain, etc. Gladly, joyfully and with light hearts and tears of thankfulness the weary fugitives turned their faces toward the west to seek again their deserted homes.

As before stated, when it was no longer possible for Captain Wiley Martin, with his forty-six men, to hold the ferry at Thompson's - with Almonte attacking him in the rear from Morton's - he retreated up the river and joined General Houston at ^'Groce's Retreat" and was ordered to proceed from there to Nacogdoches in order to protect the families at that place from an anticipated attack from the Cherokee In<Jians, who had shown signs of hostilities toward the Texans in the commencement of their war with the Mexicans. Eli Fenn went with his company on this mission.

The Thompsons at the ferry were Jesse and his sons, Hiram, James and Jack. They had a large, roomy house, and the fleeing settlers from the west made for the ferry and many of them congregated at the hospitable home of the Thompsons, having protection there also by the men under Captain Martin. They scattered and fled from there on the approach of Santa Anna, when Martin told them he could no longer hold the place. Hiram Thompson was afterwards sheriff of Fort Bend County, and also held

After Captain Martin and his men left, Santa Anna crossed his main army in the little boat which Eli Fenn made, although Martin had ordered it sunk when he abandoned the place.

Gradually the dispersed families drifted back to their homes, some to find them in ashes, and others plundered of every valuable that could be carried away. Eli Fenn, on his arrival, discovered that the supplies deposited in his house and abandoned had been appropriated by the Tory element, which, unfortunately, were present at this time the same as they were in 1776, during the war of the revolution. Three hundred dollars worth of these goods had been purchased on time at Columbia from White & Knight, and it cost Mr. Fenn two-thirds of a league of land before he finally got rid of the debt.

Eli Fenn died in 1840 on his farm, nineteen miles below Richmond, where he settled in 1837. Mrs. Fenn inherited a quarter of a league of land here from her father, David Fitzgerald, and it was located on the upper edge or west end of the grant fronting the Brazos River. John Fenn says he buried his father about four hundred yards below the bridge of the Santa Fe Railway, where the bridge spans the Brazos, and some think the remains were carried away by the great floods, but John Fenn is not certain, and rather thinks they were not, but the site of the exact spot is lost.

In the fall of 1842 General Adrian Wall came from Mexico wdth an invading army of 1,500 men and captured the city of San Antonio, then far out on the southwestern border. The citizens of the town, to the number of 55, made some defense, killed a bandmaster and drummer and others, and also General Wall's horse and then surrendered, and \^ere carried prisoners to Mexico.

The news of this bold raid was carried by swift horsemen to the valleys of the Guadalupe, >San Marcos and Colorado, and brave men mounted their horses and assembled, to the number of 200, on the Guadalupe, and were led by General Matthew Caldwell to San Antonio, and on the Sallado Creek, northeast of the city, gave the enemy battle and defeated them, and they returned to Mexico.

The Texans, however, were not satisfied and organized a force to invade Mexico under General Alexander Somerville. One of these companies was raised in Fort Bend County by Captain William Ryon, and among them was John R. Fenn, then not of age. John Shipman was lieutenant of the company. The expedition went to pieces on the Rio Grande, and about one-half of the men returned home with Somerville, but the others, less than 300, went on into Mexico under Captains Cameron, Ryon, Pierson and others. When the dissolution of the command took place, John Fenn said to Lieutenant Shipman, '^John, which way shall we go?'' ^We are good soldiers," he said, "and must obey orders," but when the test came and his captain and a majority of the company went with those who were going into Mexico, he went too. John Fenn also turned his horse and attempted to follow, but Robert Herndon took hold of his bridle and said, "Come, John, you are young, go back with me." He yielded, and thus escaped the horrors, suffering, and, likely death, of many of those who did go. Mr. Fenn says that no doubt Herndon saved his life by his action on that occasion. The gallant John Shipman gave up his life in a vile dungeon in Mexico. Two other young men, William Sullivan and Woodson of Fort Bend, came back with Fenn.

In 1852 John R. Fenn married Miss Rebecca M. Williams, who was born in Wilkinson County, Mississippi, and came to Texas with her parents in 1845 and settled on Oyster Creek, one and a half miles from Mr. Fenn's pres- ent home at ^^Clear Lake." This lake is on the Thomas Barnett league, and is in the shape of a half-moon and one mile in circumference, distant from Houston nineteen miles and forty-five from Galveston. Here is ^'Duke^s Station" on the Santa Fe road, the property all belonging to Mr. Fenn except that of the railroad company. From this place west to the Brazos, three miles distant, Mr. Fenn owns a large farm, occupied by tenants, and consisting of as rich land as the Brazos bottom affords, the principal crops being cane, corn and cotton. This property was all accumulated by Mr. Fenn himself by judicious farming, trading and stock-raising. He also has a nice residence in Houston, where his family reside principally.

Around ^^Clear Lake" was at one time the home of the Bedi Indians and likely, also, at some period of the Craunkaways. They had villages there, and when Mr. Fenn first settled there the signs of their habitations could be plainly seen, as was also many Hint arrow-heads. The prairie comes up to the lake on the east, northeast, south and southwest, and at an early day, says Mr. Fenn, deer could be seen any day, and prairie chickens were so numerous and gentle that he could ride through the tall grass and kill them with a whip. Wild mustang horses were also numerous. Mr. Fenn was a cousin to Captain John Conner, who, at one time, was a resident of Fort Bend County and lived up near the Nibb's place. He commanded a company of rangers on the frontier of Texas and served with distinction as captain of a company in BelPs regiment of riflemen in the Mexican war of 1846. Mr. Fenn was at Corpus Christi on one occasion in 1846 and there saw the famous '^Mustang Grey," who had just arrived with his company of border rangers from General Taylor's army in Mexico, having been sent back to protect the frontier from the fierce Comanche tribe of Indians. He saw Grey perform some remarkable feats on his famous horse, ^'Gray Eagle, the mustang from which Grey, whose name was Mayherry, derived his pseudonym title of '^Mustang." On this occasion he would run at full speed and pick up a silver dollar from the ground, and many other such like feats. Soon after this '^Gray Eagle'' was killed in a battle with the Comanches on the Nueces River.

In his young days Mr. Fenn was a good shot and fond of hunting, and can relate many interesting adventures. On one occasion the dogs treed something near the house, and, thinking it a coon, he and John N. Norris went to the place without a gun, thinking to chunk the '^varmint" out and let the dogs have a fight with him. It proved to be a half-grown panther, and when the two men approached the tree it jumped out and ran between Mr. Fenn's legs, nearly upsetting him, but was caught by the dogs and killed by Norris with a knife. On another occasion Mr. Fenn shot a large bear and it fell near the bank of the Brazos River, where the bluff was very high, and out of sport, sprang from his horse, mounted the bear and drove his spurs to him. Bruin raised his head, gave a loud sniff, and was about to make a spring forward, his nose being nearly over the bluff, when Mr. Fenn quickly drew a pistol and shot him in the head. If the bear had made the leap he would have gone over the bank and carried the hunter with him on his back.

Mrs. Fenn, the mother of John R. Fenn, died in 1860 near Duke, and was buried there. John and Jesse were her only children. The latter married Miss Irene Trotter and died in Houston in 1874. His wife survived him until 1894 and also died in Houston, leaving a large family. The children of John R. and Rebecca Fenn, who survive (two dying in infancy), are Francis Marion Oatis, who married Miss Lottie Benson, of Charlotteville, Virginia. They have one son, Rutherford Benson. May, who married James Joseph McKeever, Jr., of Houston; Belle, un- married, and Joseph Johnston Fenn, who married Miss Mollie Walker, of Houston; they have two children, John MicKeever and Joseph Johnston. Mrs. Mary McKeever is a very prominent member of the ^'Daughters of the Republic,'' and is president of the San Jacinto Chapter of that order. She is also a member of the "Daughters of the American Revolution."

The Fenns, on the mother's side, have a long line of distinguished ancestors, some of whom are buried in Westminister Abbey. They are also connected with the Coddingtons and Randolphs, of Virginia. Mrs. Fenn was a great granddaughter of General Nathaniel Randolph, who served on the staff of General Lafayette during the Revolutionary War, also great granddaughter of Ezekiel Ayers, who also served with distinction in the colonial army. Her grandfather, Isaac Williams, served for some time as Colonial Governor of the Province of Mississippi. An uncle. Governor Henry Johnson, was Governor of Louisiana and a member of the United States Senate.

Joe Kuykendall, mentioned so often in this sketch of Mr. Fenn, lived to be 90 years of age, and died five miles below Richmond at his ranch. He built a fine brick house, raised fine horses to sell and accumulated a nice property. His negro boy. Jack, also mentioned as being captured with Mr. Fenn and escaped with him, lived to be past 60 years of age, raised a large family, and was always most devotedly attached to Mr. Kuykendall.